1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information recording/reproducing apparatus, such as a video recorder or the like, to the main body of which a camera unit can be connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a camera unit 11 connected to the main body of a conventional information recording/reproducing apparatus 12.
In FIG. 8, reference numeral 1 represents the main body of the information recording/reproducing apparatus. Reference numeral 2 represents a display unit of the apparatus. Reference numeral 3 represents an operation button (such as a start record button). A pointing device 4 (such as a mouse or track ball) is used for moving a cursor or indicating a portion of the display unit 2 when the cursor is displayed on the display unit 2. A connection adapter 5 is used for connecting the camera unit 11 to the apparatus 12.
A cable 6 connects the camera unit 11 to the apparatus 12, and incorporates a power-supply line for supplying electric power from the apparatus 12 to the camera unit 11, a communication line between the apparatus 12 and the camera unit 11, and the like.
There are also shown the camera body 7 of the camera unit 11, a photographing lens 8, and an illuminating member 9, such as a stroboscopic lamp or the like, for illuminating an object. A trigger switch 10 for a photographing operation corresponds to a shutter button in a silver-film camera.
A battery (not shown in FIG. 8) is incorporated in the apparatus 12 as a power supply, so that electric power is supplied to the apparatus 12 and the camera unit 11.
In the above-described conventional apparatus, the following problem arises when, for example, a color camera for photographing general objects is coupled to apparatus 12, the photographing situation has changed for some reason, and the camera must be replaced by a black-and-white camera for inputting character data.
That is, in the conventional information recording/reproducing apparatus, when a color camera is connected, information relating to the camera (such as lens information, power-supply information, color information and the like) is registered in a configuration-information storage unit within the information recording/reproducing apparatus. When a black-and-white camera is newly connected, the configuration information must be replaced by configuration information relating to the black-and-white camera. Such an operation is very troublesome for the operator.